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October 26, 2010
Launch of programs was well-managed, says Auditor General
( Chapter 1—Canada’s Economic Action Plan—Fall 2010 Report of the Auditor General) Ottawa, 26 October 2010—The government took adequate measures to speed the design and roll-out of the Economic Action Plan (EAP) programs selected for audit, says Sheila Fraser, the Auditor General of Canada, in her Report tabled today in the House of Commons. The audit was conducted while the Economic Action Plan was being rolled out. It looked at how programs were designed and at the steps taken to ensure that only eligible projects were approved. A second audit, to be reported in fall 2011, will focus on program delivery and whether the projects were completed as intended. “The Economic Action Plan is a huge undertaking, involving some $47 billion in federal money and a further $14 billion from the provinces and territories, within a two-year time frame,” said Ms. Fraser. The audit found that departments and central agencies paid considerable attention to risk and put in place suitable controls and mitigation strategies. Departments and central agencies took steps to speed up the design, review and approval of programs from the usual six months to two months. Internal audit groups adjusted their audit plans to focus on high-risk areas and provided appropriate advice and assurance to management. The audit found that all the approved projects that were examined met the eligibility criteria set out in the program terms and conditions. Applicants were required to provide signed attestations demonstrating that their projects met the terms and conditions of the program, notably that projects start quickly and be largely complete by 31 March 2011. Projects were reviewed and selected on the basis of the information provided by applicants. The audit found that some projects started late, and it is not clear whether they will be completed on time. Also, some projects were exempted from an environmental assessment without sufficient information. “Departments and central agencies worked hard to accelerate their selection and approval processes and put in place the appropriate controls,” said Ms. Fraser. “We are pleased to see the important role that internal audit played.”The chapter “ Canada’s Economic Action Plan” is available on the Office of the Auditor General of Canada website. For more information, please click here.
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